FREC 2004 Test 1 UPDATED ACTUAL Questions And Correct Answers
C
Terms in this set (75)
What are the greek roots of ecology? Oikos - home
Logos - study of
What is ecology? scientific study of the processes influencing the distribution and abundance of
organisms, the interactions among organisms, and the interactions between
organisms and the transformation and flux of energy and matter
What is an ecosystem? scientific discipline which investigates the processes influencing the distribution
and fluxes of energy and matter as well as their interactions and transformations
What is the difference between the terms biotic and Biotic means living organisms and abiotic means a non-living environment
abiotic?
What are the three ways we can define the boundary of a Structure
system? Function
Dynamics
Describe the two ways, and how we define a system Trophic - feeding relationships
boundary with structure. Physical architecture - geographically
Describe how we define a system boundary with characterized by the process at hand
function.
Describe how we define a system boundary with change over time of different components and the controls over those changes
dynamics.
What is a fourth way that we can define an ecosystem levels of biological organization
boundary?
What are pools? a quantity of energy or matter in any particular ecosystem component
What are fluxes? movement (flow) of energy or matter between different pools
What are the two types of fluxes that occur in an Ones that the ecosystem controls and ones that the ecosystem does not control
ecosystem?
How do we exress the quantification of pools? mass units (amount of material in an object); weight, mass/area, area,
mass/volume
How do we express the quantification of fluxes? rates (mass/time); mass/areatime, mass/volumetime
, What is a spatial scale? measures how big of an area
What is a temporal scale? measures how long something takes
What are the four cornerstones of ecosystem ecology? Mass balance, steady state, limitation, and optimality
What does the mass balance cornerstone mean? masses of all elements are always conserved
What does the steady state cornerstone mean? idealized condition where everything is in perfect balance (IN=OUT for the system
and every compartment in it)
What does the limitation cornerstone mean? Plants are always short of some element and will only grow as much as the
resource in shortest supply allows
What is the idea of limiting nutrients? plants are always short of some element
What is stoichiometry? elemental ratios
What is Liebig's Law of the Minimum? The growth rate of plants is determined by the nutrient that is least abundant and
least available relative to the needs of the plant; Barrel with holes, water can only
fill to the lowest hole
What does the optimality cornerstone mean? organisms must handle several simultaneous constraints from their environment
What are some examples of pools? Plant carbon, plant nitrogen, soil carbon, soil organic nitrogen
What are some examples of fluxes? autotrophic respiration, nitrogen fixation, nitrogen mineralization
What are ecosystem services? the functions and benefits provided by ecosystems
What are the four categories of ecosystem services? Supporting, provisioning, regulating, cultural
What are supporting ecosystem services and examples? underpinning services that are neccessary for the production of all other
ecosystem services (nutrient cycling, soil formation, primary production)
What are provisioning ecosystem services and examples? products/material obtained from ecosystems (food, water, fibers, fuel, wood)
What are regulating ecosystem services and examples? benefits otained form the regulation of ecosystem processes (climate regulation,
disease regulation, water purification)
What are cultural ecosystem services and examples? nonmaterial benefits that enrich lives (aesthetic, spiritual, educational,
recreational)
What percentage of land on earth is covered by forests? 30%
What are feedbacks? one compartment of the system modifies another compartment of the system that
is acting upon it
C
Terms in this set (75)
What are the greek roots of ecology? Oikos - home
Logos - study of
What is ecology? scientific study of the processes influencing the distribution and abundance of
organisms, the interactions among organisms, and the interactions between
organisms and the transformation and flux of energy and matter
What is an ecosystem? scientific discipline which investigates the processes influencing the distribution
and fluxes of energy and matter as well as their interactions and transformations
What is the difference between the terms biotic and Biotic means living organisms and abiotic means a non-living environment
abiotic?
What are the three ways we can define the boundary of a Structure
system? Function
Dynamics
Describe the two ways, and how we define a system Trophic - feeding relationships
boundary with structure. Physical architecture - geographically
Describe how we define a system boundary with characterized by the process at hand
function.
Describe how we define a system boundary with change over time of different components and the controls over those changes
dynamics.
What is a fourth way that we can define an ecosystem levels of biological organization
boundary?
What are pools? a quantity of energy or matter in any particular ecosystem component
What are fluxes? movement (flow) of energy or matter between different pools
What are the two types of fluxes that occur in an Ones that the ecosystem controls and ones that the ecosystem does not control
ecosystem?
How do we exress the quantification of pools? mass units (amount of material in an object); weight, mass/area, area,
mass/volume
How do we express the quantification of fluxes? rates (mass/time); mass/areatime, mass/volumetime
, What is a spatial scale? measures how big of an area
What is a temporal scale? measures how long something takes
What are the four cornerstones of ecosystem ecology? Mass balance, steady state, limitation, and optimality
What does the mass balance cornerstone mean? masses of all elements are always conserved
What does the steady state cornerstone mean? idealized condition where everything is in perfect balance (IN=OUT for the system
and every compartment in it)
What does the limitation cornerstone mean? Plants are always short of some element and will only grow as much as the
resource in shortest supply allows
What is the idea of limiting nutrients? plants are always short of some element
What is stoichiometry? elemental ratios
What is Liebig's Law of the Minimum? The growth rate of plants is determined by the nutrient that is least abundant and
least available relative to the needs of the plant; Barrel with holes, water can only
fill to the lowest hole
What does the optimality cornerstone mean? organisms must handle several simultaneous constraints from their environment
What are some examples of pools? Plant carbon, plant nitrogen, soil carbon, soil organic nitrogen
What are some examples of fluxes? autotrophic respiration, nitrogen fixation, nitrogen mineralization
What are ecosystem services? the functions and benefits provided by ecosystems
What are the four categories of ecosystem services? Supporting, provisioning, regulating, cultural
What are supporting ecosystem services and examples? underpinning services that are neccessary for the production of all other
ecosystem services (nutrient cycling, soil formation, primary production)
What are provisioning ecosystem services and examples? products/material obtained from ecosystems (food, water, fibers, fuel, wood)
What are regulating ecosystem services and examples? benefits otained form the regulation of ecosystem processes (climate regulation,
disease regulation, water purification)
What are cultural ecosystem services and examples? nonmaterial benefits that enrich lives (aesthetic, spiritual, educational,
recreational)
What percentage of land on earth is covered by forests? 30%
What are feedbacks? one compartment of the system modifies another compartment of the system that
is acting upon it
